CHAPTER XVII
THRASHING A BULLY
After that the boys saw a good deal of Edna and Ruth Salper. Thelatter were thoroughly good sports and entered into the fun of themoment with such enthusiasm that the radio boys declared they werelots more fun than a good many of the fellows they knew.
They went nutting together, tramped through the woods, read togetherthe latest discoveries in the radio field, until the girls becamealmost as great enthusiasts as the boys.
The boys were often asked to visit the Salper home, but it was seldomthat they took advantage of these invitations.
"It would be pleasant enough," Herb declared, "if only grouchy Mr.Salper were not always around to put a damper on the sport."
As a matter of fact, on the rare occasions when they happened to meet,Mr. Salper hardly uttered a word, but it was this very silence of histhat made the boys uneasy.
"I feel sometimes," Jimmy remarked, "as if I'd like to put a tack onhis chair, just to see if he'd say 'ouch' when it stuck into him."
"He'd probably say a sight worse than that," Bob replied, with alaugh,
However, they were having too good a time to allow Mr. Salper and hisgrouches to interfere much with them.
They became familiar figures at the sending and receiving station, andthe operator always received them cordially. They often had long andinteresting discussions which were not only delightful to the boys butextremely helpful as well.
"It seems," said Jimmy, with a grin, "as if all the radio inventorswere running a race with each other to see who can get the greatestnumber of inventions on the market in the shortest space of time."
"You said something that time, boy," the operator replied ruefully."The smart fellows are keeping us dubs on the jump trying to catch upwith them. Not that I intend to put you in the 'dub' class withmyself," he added, with a grin.
"I only wish we knew half as much about the game as you do," Bobreturned heartily. "I think we'd be mighty well satisfied."
One day when the radio boys had left Edna and Ruth Salper and weretramping through the woods alone, they spoke of the operatoradmiringly.
"He sure does know a lot about radio," said Joe. "He must stay up allnight studying."
"Guess that's what's the matter with him," remarked Bob, soberly. "Hespends too much of his time indoors, boning. He should get out in theopen more."
"Looks as if a little fresh air might tone him up some," Herbadmitted. "He looks as if a breath of air might blow him away."
"If I looked as thin as he does, I'd go see a doctor," said Jimmyemphatically.
It was a fact that the operator at the station, while looking far fromstrong when the boys had first seen him, had grown thinner and thinnerand paler and paler until now he seemed to be positively going into adecline.
Because they had a sincere regard for Bert Thompson, the boys hadtried to lure him out into the open, but he had been proof against alltheir blandishments. And after a while the boys had given up trying.
"If he wants to kill himself," Bob had grumbled, "I suppose we'll haveto let him have his own way about it."
And now at this particular time when the boys were at peace with theworld, something suddenly happened that gave them a rude jolt.
Talking happily of improvements they expected to apply to their newradio outfit, they came suddenly upon--Buck Looker and his crowd.
To say they were surprised would not have half expressed it. They weredumbfounded and mad--clear through. So here were these rascals,turning up as they always did, just in time to spoil the fun.
That Buck and his cronies had been talking about them was evident fromthe fact that at the appearance of the radio boys they stopped shortin what they were saying and looked sullenly abashed. And from theirconfusion Bob guessed that the meeting was as much a surprise to the"gang" as it was to themselves.
The boys would have gone on without speaking, hoping to avoid troubleif it was possible, but Buck hailed them boisterously.
"Say, what are you guys doing here?" he asked, sneeringly, thrustinghimself almost directly in front of Bob, so that the latter would beforced to step aside in order to pass him.
"That's what I'd like to ask you," returned Bob, feeling himself growhot all over. "Get out of my way, Buck. You're cramping the scenery."
"Aw, what's your awful rush?" asked Buck, refusing to move, while CarlLutz and Terry Mooney sidled over to the bully, keeping a wary eye onBob's right fist, nevertheless.
"Say, get out of here, Buck Looker, and get quick!" It was Joe whospoke this time, and any one not as stupid as Buck Looker would haveknown it was time to do as he was told.
But because of the fire that had burned to the ground his father'sdisreputable cottage in the woods and which he and his followers hadblamed upon the radio boys, Buck Looker thought himself safe intaunting the latter as much as he wished. He assumed that they wouldnot dare resent anything he said or did, for fear he would make publicthe matter of the fire and accuse them openly.
It was a chance of a lifetime for Buck--or so he thought--and he wasdetermined not to over-look it. So his manner became more insultingthan ever and his face took on a wider grin as his glance shifted fromBob to Joe.
"So you're in a hurry, too, are you?" he sneered. "Going to set somemore houses on fire, eh?"
He turned to his cronies with a grin and they piped up together as ifby a prearranged signal:
"Firebrands!"
This undeserved insult was more than the radio boys could stand, andall stepped forward with clenched fists.
"You take that back, Buck Looker!" cried Joe, with flashing eyes.
"Take back nothing!" answered the bully.
"Yes, you will!" broke in Bob, and caught Buck by the arm.
At once the bully aimed a savage blow at Bob's head. But the latterducked, and an instant later his clenched fist landed upon Buck's chinwith such weight that the bully was sent over backward into the snow.
At the instant when Buck made his attack on Bob, Terry Mooney tried tohit Joe with a stick he carried. Joe promptly caught hold of thestick, and, putting out his foot, sent Terry backward into asnowdrift. Seeing this, Carl Lutz started to run away, but both Herband Jimmy went after him and knocked him flat.
"You let me alone! I didn't do anything!" blubbered Carl, who was athorough coward.
"You can't call me a firebrand," answered Herb, and while fat Jimmysat on the luckless Carl, Herb rammed some snow into his ear and downhis neck.
While this was going on both Buck and Terry had scrambled to theirfeet, and then began a fierce fight between that pair and Bob and Joe.Blows were freely exchanged, but soon the radio boys had the better ofit, and when Terry's lip was bleeding and swelling rapidly, and Buckhad received a crack in the left eye and it was also swelling, allthree of the cronies were only too glad to back away.
"Have you had enough?" demanded Bob, pantingly.
"If you haven't, we'll give you some more," added Joe.
"You just wait! We'll get square with you some other time," mutteredBuck. And thereupon he and his cronies lost no time in sneaking awayinto the woods.
"Of all the mean fellows that ever lived!" cried Herb.
"I guess they'll leave us alone--for a while, anyway," came from Joe,as he felt of his shoulder where he had received a blow.
"I wonder what those fellows are doing around here, anyway," said Bobthoughtfully. "Do you suppose they're putting up at the Mountain RestHotel, too?"
"More than likely," answered Joe, gloomily. "Perhaps they've beendriven out of Clintonia, too, on account of the epidemic. I heardquite a number of the other young folks were getting out. The wholetown is pretty well scared."
"They are sure trying their best to make trouble for us," added Jimmy.
"That fire in the woods was just nuts for them," said Bob, with afrown. "They've been trying for a long time to get something on us,and now they think they've got it. They think we're afraid to beat 'emup now as they deserve, for fear they'l
l tell everybody we set thatold shack on fire."
"It was a funny thing," remarked Joe, musingly, "how that firestarted, anyway."
"Oh, what's the use of worrying?" added Herb, carelessly. "I reckonthe memory of that licking will keep Buck quiet for a while. Say, thatwas a fine piece of work you did, Bob! The memory lingers."
Bob grinned.
"How about yourselves?" he asked, adding, with a gleam in his eyes: "Ididn't notice Terry Mooney and Carl Lutz looking very happy!"